The Hawk

Now that Fi is old enough to take a bath with Madeline without getting clobbered too badly, it is their #1 favorite activity. Whenever the bath water's a runnin', Fi starts bouncing around and grunting/squealing, "mnnnnn,mnnnn,mnnnn!" Maddie gets all hyper and rips all her clothes off. Then she hops about and repeatedly asks, "Can I get in now?" Once they are both in, Maddie tells me when to turn the water off (usually at about the 3-inch mark).

Maddie has her "guys" that she has to take into every bath. This motley gang boasts members like Dora, Diego, Boots, an orange boat, and a giant Dora that Maddie has named 'Uela (I am pretty sure it's short for abuela because she says it with a very Latin accent). With her guys, she plays a variety of games, but the most recent is toy store. Here's a brief sample:

Maddie: What toy do you need tahday?

Me (usually trying to clean the mirror or straighten my hair): Um, I don't know. Boots I guess.

Maddie: Here ya go.

Me: How much does he cost?

Maddie: 30 pounds. Are you done with him now?

I think we have been letting her watch too much Top Gear (A very funny British car show for those of you unfamiliar with life beyond our coastlines). So anyway, the other night I was getting ready to scoop Fi out of the tub, which she really hates. She scampers away from me and then has a big tantrum after I finally apprehend her. Before I could grab her, Maddie piped up, "Give her a hawk mom!" So, I did.

In the first pic, she is doing her suck-the-thumb-pinch-the-neck routine. It's a weird comfort ritual for her. She used to pinch me all over while she was nursing, and sometimes she'll try to pinch the neck of whoever's holding her. Believe me, with raising two girls in this crazy world, this oddball behavior is the least of my worries.